Despite high beef prices, a smaller dairy herd and higher demand and prices for dairy cow replacements have now impacted cull cow slaughter rates for over a full year, with a noticeable slowdown in dairy cull cow slaughter since March.
Based on latest USDA monthly data released July 24, the number of dairy cull cows marketed through U.S. slaughter plants in June 2025 was estimated at 188,800. While down 8,000 from May, it was 2,400 more than June 2024.
June 2024 had 25 non-holiday weekdays and Saturdays, while May 2025 also had 25 days. Slaughter averaged 7,600 head per business day this year, 100 lower from a year earlier.
Weekly slaughter in 2025 continues to follow long-term trends. Through the week ending July 12, weekly dairy cow slaughter has trailed year-earlier levels in 25 of 28 weeks. Since September 2023 and through the week ending July 12, weekly dairy cow slaughter has now trailed year-earlier levels for 93 of 97 weeks, with a total decline of nearly 553,500 head over that period.
The USDA estimated there were 9.469 million dairy cows in U.S. herds in June 2025, up 4,000 head from the May estimate and putting the June culling rate at about 2% of the herd. Based on the monthly data, year-to-date (January-June) dairy cull cow slaughter now stands at about 1,275,400 head, down 112,800 from the same period a year ago and the lowest six-month total to start the year since 2008.
Read: June milk production higher as dairy cow numbers rise
Heaviest dairy cow culling during June occurred in the Upper Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) at 51,300 head. That was followed in the Southwest (Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada) at 35,800 head.
Other monthly regional totals were estimated at 28,700 head in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia; 26,300 head in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas; and 24,400 head in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Primary data for the USDA’s Livestock Slaughter report is obtained from reports from about 900 federally inspected plants and nearly 1,850 state-inspected or custom-exempt slaughter plants.
Read also: Replacement cow prices keep rising in 2025, according to latest quarterly estimates from the USDA.
